Phytic acid content of flaxseed as influenced by cultivar, growing season, and location

Phytic acid content of meal from eight flaxseed cultivars grown in 1991, 1992, and 1993 at four locations in western Canada was determined to examine the effect of cultivar, location, and growing season. Flaxseed contained 23-33 g of phytic acid per kilogram of meal, and averages for years and locations were significantly different among all cultivars. Yearly differences in phytic acid were significant at most locations. Variation in phytic acid was mainly due to cultivar and the interaction of cultivar with location and year. The stability of phytic acid concentration in various environments appears to be genetically controlled. In flaxseed, phytic acid was independent of oil content and was not related to seed yield. A negative correlation was found between phytic acid and iodine value and phenolic acids of flaxseed.